ERC Austria Round 1 20/21 April

[schanche]

Can we expect to see footage on youtube via HU of this championship?
Also can IMG Drivers interlope? To the Championship?any penalties that we know of if they so choose?

[chasing cars]

At a guess I would imagine the 15 contracted drivers are not allowed to do the challenge, but then again they are allowed to do the X games, so who knows?
I see the always on it Roman Castoral is booked in but not in RCE touring cars but in home series super national. Anyone know if he uses the same car for this or a different Astra?

[mivec]

He has a idenitcal looking car with FWD. Wich he use in Austria, don't know.

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by mivec

He has a idenitcal looking car with FWD. Wich he use in Austria, don't know.

I assume that's his old Division 2 car?

[rx-guru]

Roman Častoral has entered his FWD Opel Astra in SuperNationals for CEZ, CZRC and ARC and is not a Challenger (so far).

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by schanche

Can we expect to see footage on youtube via HU of this championship?
Also can IMG Drivers interlope? To the Championship?any penalties that we know of if they so choose?

I expect Chris Courteyn will do the production so probably on Youtube or Vimeo like in the past several seasons.

EDIT:
According to their website they do:
http://www.racing-action.com/championship.asp?id=18

To my surprise they do also the French RX championship:
http://www.racing-action.com/championship.asp?id=23

[schanche]

Good luck K.P for this weekend,first of many wins hopefully we will see plenty of footage, and decent pics

[The Eye]

Jos Kuijpers, Robert Theuil and Jochen Coox are all non starters at Melk. For Jos it is because his “mechanics are facing personal medical issues”. Theuil have budget problems and Coox have engine problems, some spare parts are late.

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by schanche

Good luck K.P for this weekend,first of many wins hopefully we will see plenty of footage, and decent pics

Hear, hear! Hope that the problems with the car at Mallory last weekend were easily fixed and Procter gets a good run this weekend.

[rallyloverke]

Too bad some guys had to cancel at the last minute. A difficult start for the Challenge also it seems. Things can only get better!

[FIRE]

Jurgen Weiss wins Supercars class.

[schanche]

No KP or Koutney in the top
Good result for Guillimete

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by schanche

No KP or Koutney in the top

To my (and probably others ) surprise.

[schanche]

Thank god for Rallycross.com and Loix, well 5 pictures of the first round of the ERC Austria, pretty poor bloody show. Anybody know where other Pics can be found? some of us are Interested! Reports and news updates of the problems for the Supercar drivers would of been nice.

Not a good start!

[bigted]

Oh very little press of Austria, and you were all quick to deride RX round 1 at Lydden.....

[schanche]

Originally Posted by bigted

Oh very little press of Austria, and you were all quick to deride RX round 1 at Lydden.....

IMG round 1, ERC round 1 Both **** Lets hope it gets better

[tbtstt]

Shame to read that Procter had engine trouble: was hoping to see him challenging for the win.

[zulu]

Hello!

Some pics from Melk
http://www.racingpics.at/Galerie/201...elk/index.html

[WJM]

Originally Posted by bigted

Oh very little press of Austria, and you were all quick to deride RX round 1 at Lydden.....

Very little press is still more press than IMG is giving their round in Portugal next week...

[bigted]

Really I've seen three this week

[FIRE]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIqaPQaS0do


There was live timing for the rest it was hard to follow the event.
No report on rcchallenge.eu at the end of Saturday and Sunday.
It took also quite some time before they posted the results on their website.

So RCE has still work to do.

Originally Posted by bigted

Oh very little press of Austria, and you were all quick to deride RX round 1 at Lydden.....

If RCE does a bad job that doesn't automaticly mean ERX does a god job. And vice versa of course.

[chasing cars]

A very disappointing start for the challenge, I thought from the beginning that Austria may not be the best choice for the first round, still no excuse for the lack of news and reports. I really cant understand the lack of interest from the Benelux countries, it seems like the old story of drivers showing alot of interest in something but then not not going through with it. Essay should be better but unless the challenge guys step up I cant see much future for this series.

As far as comparing the first round of the challenge to the ERX no doubt the latter comes out of it alot better but that doesnt mean they have anything to shout about because Lydden was far from perfect and with a lack of news and believe it or not promotion for Portugal,it doesnt seem things will get much better soon. The website preview doesnt even mention any drivers though it does say it has a very spacious paddock, me thinks it maybe a little more spacious than usual!

[ClintonRX]

I have no intention of fuelling a debate as to what is better, the IMG circus or the Challenge, or which is publicised/reported on the best whilst taking place. But having been fortunate enough to be at Lydden on the Monday and Melk yesterday a few facts. Lydden cost £25 + plus £5 a programme (I didn't buy one). Melk cost 25 Euros +2 Euros a programme (I bought one). Lydden had 40 cars or maybe one or two less on the day. Melk had over 80 cars. Lydden (trying remember) started competitive action at 10am, had a 2 hour lunch break plus other lulls in action if I recall, with on track action done and dusted sometime around 4pm. Happy to be corrected on timings. Melk was underway with heats at 8am. There was a lull between 10.05 and 10.25, with a lunch break of about an hour or so during which we had a good old drivers parade. A good number of them sitting on the roof of their cars whilst driving around the circuit. There was also a display of drifting with half a dozen cars giving (I think) people passenger rides at the same time. Whilst this was going on there was some presentation going on with older rallycross stars, but knowing no Austrian that was rather lost on me. Straight after the racing got underway, other than regrading the track for the finals (time to wander the paddock), it was action all the way until 4.30pm. That is what I call value for money and one of the reasons why I personally enjoy following the sport. Yes Lydden had the star names, Melk had very few. There were less Supercars on the day due to some "higher profile" drop outs at the last minute. Great shame for KP as well, I only saw him do about a lap and a half!! There were only 3 touring cars too, but the Super 1600 field matched Lydden in numbers. These shortages were more than made up for me anyway by the 50 or so Supernationals. Loved watching the Merc and Roman Casterol (perfect tactics) battle out the A final. Would love to see again the moment in the Super1600 final (last lap I think) when the first two cars met at the exit of the jocker lap right at the chicane.....that moment was worth the admission price alone!! I personally watch rallycross because I find it entertaining, friendly, colourful, good value and very enjoyable (irrespective of the weather). I started watching at Lydden in the early 70's. I would be the first to admit I am no expert on the intricacies of the mechanics of the cars. But at the end of the day it's cars racing that I go to watch and my day at Melk fully satisfied that desire. Lydden didn't. If anyone wishes to ask questions about the Melk layout, etc I would only be too happy to answer if I can.

[chasing cars]

I should have said on paper the ERX came out of it better than the challenge but reading what ClintonRX has written there is little doubt I would have felt I had far bettter value for money at Melk and I have to agree quantity is as important as quality, the Bel/GB round in March for me was a far better meeting than the ERX despite the weather. Also for me seeing cars from local champioships adds to the attraction, far more different types of cars on view, and for many its just about taking part not spending 100s of thousands of pounds and maybe getting a mugshot in Autosport.

A proper drivers parade is something Ive wanted back for years, hopefully something similar at Essay. One at Lydden would have helped to fill the ridiculously long lunch break (I notice timetable for Portugal a shorter lunch break but a longer break between semis and final).

[rallycrossnl]

The challenge is relatively young, only started last month by the ok of the FIA. The number of possible drivers isn't super high, drivers that already did international races last year(s) minus the ERC drivers. Besides that some drivers had car trouble or even medical trouble (within their team) and couldn't make it, so numbers were lowered even more. And one has to appriciate the fact that some potential new drivers might have cold water fear, as we say in dutch, and wait until race 2 or 3 before they signup, or even wait till next year.

It would be great if the FIA o.k.'ed ERC drivers to take part in the challenge as well. But I don't think IMG will like that for obvious reasons. I don't know if they restricted it or not. Can't find anything about it till now.